MPs demand full records over Sh74.7 million TVET scholarship payments

The National Assembly has put the State Department for Technical, Vocational Education and Training on the spot over a Sh74.7 million scholarship programme, demanding full records showing how beneficiaries were selected and paid. Lawmakers say gaps in documentation and verification have raised concerns over how public funds were released to hundreds of students across TVET institutions.

The matter was raised before the National Assembly Public Accounts Committee, chaired by Tindi Mwale (Butere), during a review of audit reports covering the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 financial years. The session focused on how scholarship funds were managed and whether proper procedures were followed before disbursement.

Officials from the TVET State Department, led by Principal Secretary Esther Muoria, appeared before the committee to respond to questions linked to the programme. MPs sought clarity on the process used to identify beneficiaries and approve payments.

According to the Auditor-General, Sh74,721,240 was disbursed to 452 students enrolled in various TVET institutions. However, the audit raised concerns over the absence of clear records confirming how the beneficiaries were verified before receiving the funds.

The report indicated that the department failed to provide sufficient documentation showing that all 452 students qualified for the scholarship. Instead, approvals were based on information supplied by a consultant rather than on independently verified internal records.

A review of a consultant’s letter dated January 27, 2023, revealed further inconsistencies. It showed that 102 students were still awaiting placement by KUCCPS, while 137 others had not received admission letters at the time the funds were released.

This raised questions from MPs on why public money was issued for 239 students whose admission and placement status had not been confirmed at the time of payment.

The audit further noted that the department did not submit an updated status report for all beneficiaries. It also pointed out that there was no clear budget line set aside for monitoring and supervision of the scholarship programme, leaving oversight gaps.

In her defence, PS Muoria said the beneficiaries were drawn from the Wings to Fly programme, which supports learners who do not proceed to university after secondary school. She explained that the students’ academic and social background information had already been verified during their earlier education.

She also told the committee that scholarship allocation followed KUCCPS placement processes, which guided how students were selected and matched to institutions.

Despite the explanation, MPs said key questions remained unresolved and insisted on full documentation to support the disbursement process.

Committee Chairperson Mwale directed the ministry to submit all agreements, beneficiary lists, and supporting records within two weeks for further scrutiny.

"We are not saying that the program is bad; it has helped many learners. However, as a Committee, we want to understand how the disbursement was done and also offer input that can be helpful," explained Mwale.

"Provide the documents within two weeks so that we can review them. The purpose of this review is not to find mistakes, but to identify gaps and make corrections where necessary," the Committee Chairperson told the PS.